First Look: Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition

The product is designed to address the security needs of small business users with protection against hackers, viruses, threats to information assets, and Internet productivity distractions in one solution.

Symantec announced Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition, an integrated online security and privacy suite for small businesses, professionals, and advanced users. Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition addresses the security needs of small business users with protection against hackers, viruses, threats to information assets, and Internet productivity distractions in one solution. Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition includes Symantec's firewall, privacy control, antivirus, and content filtering technologies in a single, easy-to-use suite.

In addition to introducing spam filtering, automatic virus removal, and a simplified user interface, Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition features data recovery and cleaning, Web tools, and productivity controls that may enable small businesses to maximize their online experiences while protecting against Internet threats.

Norton Internet Security Professional Edition includes a full version of Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional Edition with its data protection and recovery tools. These advanced features allow users to protect and recover important applications and files from both accidental deletion and virus damage. In addition, small businesses and advanced users will be able to protect the confidentiality of their critical sensitive data by digitally shredding files that are no longer needed.

To ensure increased productivity, Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition also features new Web tools that maximize hard drive space and keep dial-up connections alive while online. Web Cleanup gets rid of temporary cache files, history items, and cookies with the click of a button. Connection Keep Alive prevents dial-up Internet connections from timing out by simulating online user activity during periods of inactivity. As a result, users can read lengthy online articles and complete other online activities without being disconnected by their ISP. Connection Keep Alive is especially useful for the business traveler who accesses e-mail via a dial-up connection while on the road.

Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition also includes Norton Productivity Control, which filters out distracting Web content and prevents access to most newsgroups. Used in combination with User Access Manager, these features should enable small business workgroup administrators to create multiple user profiles in order to limit Internet access to distracting Web sites that can erode productivity.

Like Norton Internet Security 2003, Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition includes Norton Intrusion Detection to provide users with an additional layer of security by automatically blocking malicious attacks that spread quickly through Internet traffic. Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition also includes Norton Privacy Control, which offers new privacy protection capabilities such as blocking confidential information from being sent to unsecured Web sites or through outgoing e-mail messages, Microsoft Office attachments, or Instant Messaging systems. Also featured is Norton Spam Alert, which allows users to filter out annoying and time-consuming spam e-mail messages. Usability enhancements to Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition include a simplified user interface, the ability to block all Internet traffic with the push of a button, and a visual security monitor.

Other important features include Automatic LiveUpdate and Network Notification. Automatic LiveUpdate checks for and downloads new virus definitions whenever the user is online, providing automatic protection against new Internet threats without interrupting work. Network Notification alerts users whenever their computer connects to a new wireless network.

Pricing and Availability
Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition has an estimated retail price of US $99.95 and is now available for preorder from Symantec's online store at www.symantecstore.com. Current users of Symantec software as well as competitive products can take advantage of a $30 mail-in rebate when they upgrade to Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition. Customers are expected to be able to purchase Norton Internet Security 2003 Professional Edition from other online retailers and retail locations in early December.

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